Текст книги "Truly Madly Yours "

Автор книги: Рэйчел Гибсон

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Текущая страница: 17 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

“Its not over. Not yet.

“Why risk it again?

Why was she pushing him? If she wanted the answer, hed give it to her, but he doubted shed like it much. “Because Ive thought about you naked and willing since you were about thirteen or fourteen. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Since the time Louie and I were out at the public beach with a few friends, and you were there, too, with some other girls. I dont remember them, just you. You had on a shiny swimming suit the color of green apples. It was one piece and by no stretch of the imagination skimpy, but it had a zipper up the front that drove me crazy. I remember watching you talking with your friends and listening to music, and I couldnt take my eyes off that zipper. That was the first time I noticed your breasts. They were small and pointed and all I could think about was pulling down that zipper so I could see them, so I could look at the changes in your body. I got so hard, I hurt, and I had to lie on my stomach so no one would see I had a Ponderosa-sized woody.

“That night when I went home, I fantasized about crawling in your bedroom window. I fantasized that I watched you sleep with your blond hair all fanned out across your pillow. Then I imagined you waking up and telling me youd been waiting for me, holding out your arms and welcoming me into your bed. I pictured myself slipping between the sheets, pushing up your shirt, and pulling down your panties. You let me touch your little breasts all I wanted. You let me touch you between your legs, too. I fantasized about that for hours.

“I was sixteen and knew more than I should have about sex. You were young and naive and didnt know anything. You were the princess of Truly, and I was the mayors illegitimate son. I wasnt good enough to kiss your feet, but that didnt stop me from wanting you so much my guts ached. I could have called one of a number of girls I knew, but I didnt. I wanted to fantasize about you. He took another deep breath. “You probably think Im a pervert.

“Yes, she softly laughed. “A Ponderosa-sized pervert.

He looked across his shoulder at the amusement in her big brown eyes. “You arent mad?

She shook her head.

“You dont think Im sick as hell? Hed often wondered about that himself.

“Actually, Im flattered. I guess every woman likes to imagine that at some time in her life theres been at least one man out there fantasizing about her.

She didnt know the half of it. “Yeah, well, I thought about you from time to time.

She turned to him and reached for the button on the front of his shirt. “Ive thought about you, too.

Beneath his lids, he watched her white hands against red flannel, her thin fingers moving toward his waist. “When?

“Since Ive been back. She pulled the ends of his shirt from his jeans. “Last week I thought about this. She leaned forward and brushed her tongue across his flat nipple. It hardened like leather, and he plowed his fingers through the sides of her hair.

“What else?

“This. She unbuttoned his fly and shoved one hand beneath his briefs. When she wrapped her soft palm around his hard shaft and squeezed, he felt it in his gut. She stroked him from base to head, up and down, and he stood there and took it all in. The texture of her soft hair through his fingers, the feel of her wet mouth on his chest and throat. He could smell some sort of light powdery perfume on her skin, and when she kissed him, she tasted of whiskey and coffee and lust. He loved having her tongue in his mouth and her hand down his pants. He loved looking into her face as she touched him.

He took off her sweater and unhooked her beige bra and thought of the hundreds of fantasies hed had about this one woman. Combined, none of them could hold a candle to the real thing. He cupped her round white breasts in his hands, and caressed her perfect pink nipples.

“I told you I wanted to lick you all over, she whispered as she shoved his pants and briefs down his thighs. “Ive been thinking about that, too. She knelt before him in her jeans and socks and took him into her hot wet mouth. His breath left his lungs and he spread his feet shoulder width apart for balance. She kissed the head of his penis and gently caressed his testicles. He shuddered and held Delaneys fine hair away from her face as he looked down at her long eyelashes and soft cheeks.

Nick usually preferred oral sex to anything else. He didnt always wear a condom during, leaving the choice up to the woman. But he didnt want to get off in Delaneys mouth. He wanted to look in her eyes as he buried himself deep inside her. He wanted to know she felt him there. He wanted to feel her grip him deep within her body and feel her wild pulsations. He wanted to forget about using protection and leave something of himself deep inside her long after he was gone. Hed never felt that way with any other woman. He wanted more. He wanted those things he never dared think were possible. He wanted to make her his for more than just a night. For the first time in his life, he wanted more from a woman than she wanted from him.

In the end, he pulled her to her feet and retrieved a condom from the pocket of his jeans. He placed it in her palm. “Suit me up, wild thing, he said.

Chapter Seventeen

Delaney awoke to the soft brush of fingertips caressing her spine. She opened her eyes and stared at Nicks broad hairy chest less than an inch from her nose. She lay on her stomach, and a patch of bright morning sun streamed across his tan skin.

“Good morning.

She wasnt sure, but she thought she felt him kiss the top of her head. “What time is it?

“About eight-thirty.

“Crap. She rolled to her side and would have fallen to the floor if he hadnt grabbed the top of her arm and thrown a bare leg over her hips. A thin floral sheet was the only thing separating them. She raised her gaze to the same pink canopy shed awakened to most mornings as a girl. The twin-sized bed was small for one person, let alone one person and a guy Nicks size. “I have a nine oclock appointment. She gathered her courage and looked at him, her worst fear confirmed. He was gorgeous in the morning. His shoulder-length hair fell to one side and a shadow of a beard darkened his jaw. From beneath his thick lashes, his eyes were too intense and alert for eight-thirty in the morning.

“Can you cancel it?

She shook her head and glanced around for her clothes. “If I leave within the next ten minutes, I might make it on time. She returned her gaze to his face and caught him staring at her, looking as if he were either memorizing her features or inspecting for flaws. She could feel her cheeks grow warm, and she sat up, holding the sheet to her chest. “I know I look like shit, she said, but he didnt look at her as if she were half dead. Maybe for once in her life shed lucked out and didnt have dark circles. “Dont I?

“Do you want the truth?

“Yes.

“Okay. He reached for her hand and kissed her palm. “You look better than you did when you were a Smurf.

A wrinkle appeared in the corners of his eyes, and Delaney felt a rush of warm tingles tickle her fingertips and spread across her breasts. This was the Nick she loved. The Nick who teased as he kissed. The man who could make her laugh even as he made her want to cry. “I should have asked you to lie, she said and pulled her hand away before she forgot her nine oclock appointment. She spotted her clothes thrown on the floor beside her. With her back to him, she reached for them and got dressed as quickly as possible.

Behind her the bedsprings dipped as Nick rose to his feet. He moved about the room, retrieving his clothes from the floor, completely unconcerned by his nudity. With a sock in one hand, she watched him shove his legs into his Levis and button the fly. Beneath the harsh morning light, Nick Allegrezza was one hundred percent prime American beefcake. Life wasnt fair.

“Give me your keys, and Ill warm your car for you.

Delaney shoved her foot in her sock. No man had ever offered to warm up her car for her, and she was touched by the simple gesture. “In my coat pocket. After he left the bedroom, Delaney washed her face and brushed her teeth and hair. By the time she locked the house behind her, the windows of Henrys Cadillac were clear. No man had ever scraped her windows, either. Her new snow tires shined a polished black against the backdrop of silver and white. She felt like crying. No one had ever cared about her safety and well-being, except maybe her old boyfriend Eddy Castillo. Hed been an exercise freak, concerned about her diet. Hed given her a Salad Shooter for her birthday, but a kitchen appliance didnt compare to snow tires.

She didnt ask when shed see Nick again. He didnt offer. Theyd spent the night as lovers, yet neither of them mentioned love or even dinner plans.

Delaney arrived at her salon moments before her first client, Gina Fisher, whod graduated a year behind Delaney in school and had three children under the age of five. Gina had worn her thick hair to her waist since the seventh grade. Delaney cut it to her shoulders and gave her long layers. She brushed in red highlights and made the young mother look youthful again. After Gina, she cut the hair of a girl who wanted to look like Claire Danes. She had a walk-in at eleven, then closed the salon at noon so she could finally take a shower. She told herself she wasnt waiting for Nicks call or the sound of his Jeep, but of course she was.

When she hadnt heard from him by six that evening, she jumped in the Cadillac to do a little Christmas shopping. She hadnt bought a gift yet for her mother and ended up at one of those high-priced tourist traps that catered to the Eddie Bauer crowd. She didnt find anything for her mother, but she did blow seventy bucks on a size fifteen and a half flannel, the same exact gray of Nicks eyes. She had it gift-wrapped in red foil paper, and took it home and sat it on her dining room table. There were no messages on her machine. She pressed call return just to make sure, but he hadnt called.

She didnt hear from him the next day, and by Christmas morning, she was feeling more alone than she ever had in her life. She got up the nerve and dialed Nick to wish him Merry Christmas, but he didnt answer. She thought about driving by his house to see if he was home and avoiding her. In the end, she drove to her mothers to visit Duke and Dolores. At least the two Weimaraners were happy to see her.

By noon, shed fallen into a zombie state watching A Christmas Story , relating to Ralphie as never before. She knew what it was like to want something she wasnt likely to get. And she knew what it was like to have a mother who made a kid wear a horrid bunny costume, too. Just as Ralphie was about to shoot his eyes out with his Red Ryder B-B gun, the doorbell rang. The Weimaraners lifted their heads, then laid them back down, proving they werent much good as watchdogs.

Nick stood on the porch in his leather jacket and Oakleys. His breath hung in front of his face as a slow sensuous smile curved his lips upward. He looked good enough to roll in sugar and eat whole. Delaney didnt know whether to let him in or slam the door in his face for leaving her hanging the past two days. The shiny gold box in his hand decided his fate. She let him in.

He shoved his sunglasses in his pocket and pulled out a piece of mistletoe and held it over her head. “Merry Christmas, he said. His warm mouth covered hers, and she felt the kiss to the soles of her feet. When he pulled back to look at her, she placed her palms on his cheeks and brought him down for more. She didnt even bother to hide her feelings. She wasnt so sure she could have anyway. She ran her hands over his shoulders and across his chest, and when she was through, she confessed, “Ive missed you.

“I was in Boise until late last night. He shifted his weight to one foot and shoved the box at her. “This is for you. It took me a while to find it.

She stared at the gold box and ran a hand over the smooth paper. “Maybe I should wait. I have a gift for you at my apartment.

“No, he insisted like a death row inmate who just wanted to hurry and get his sentence over with as quickly as possible. “Go ahead and open it now.

Beneath her hands, the smooth paper ripped apart with one excited pull. Nestled in a bed of tissue paper inside sat a rhinestone crown like those given out in beauty pageants.

“I thought since Helen stole that homecoming crown from you in high school, Id get you a better one.

It was big and gaudy and absolutely the most beautiful thing shed ever seen. She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling as she pulled the crown from its bed of tissue and shoved the box at Nick. “I love it. The rhinestones caught the light and shot sparks through the foyer. She placed it on her head and looked at herself in the mirror next to the coat rack. The shiny stones were fashioned into a row of hearts and ribbons with one central heart bigger than the rest. She blinked back her tears as she raised her gaze to his in the mirror. “This is the best Christmas present anyone has ever given me.

“Im glad you like it. He placed his big palms on her stomach, then slid them beneath her sweater to her breasts. Through her lacy bra, he cupped her, his fingers pressing into her flesh as he pulled her back against his chest. “On the long drive from Boise last night, I thought about you wearing that thing and nothing else.

“Have you ever made love to a queen?

He shook his head and grinned. “Youre my first.

She grabbed his wrist and led him to the sunroom where shed been watching television. He undressed her with slow languid hands and made her feel beautiful and desired and loved right there on her mothers lemon yellow sofa. She ran her fingertips down his warm back and bare behind and kissed his smooth shoulder. She wanted to feel as she did at that moment forever. Her skin tingled and her body flushed. Her heart swelled when he kissed her sensitive breasts, and when he buried his hot erection deep inside her body, she was more than ready. He placed his hands on the sides of her face and stared in her eyes as he slowly drove into her again and again.

She stared up into his face, into his gray eyes, alive with the passion he felt for her, his lips moist from their kiss, his breathing labored. “I love you, Nick, she whispered. He stilled for a moment, then plunged deeper, harder, again and again, and she whispered her love with each stroke until she fell head first into the sweetest ecstasy of her life. She heard his deep primal groan and the mixture of prayer words and curses. Then his full weight collapsed on her.

A twinge of unease settled in her chest as she listened to his breathing slow. Shed told him she loved him. And while hed made her feel loved, he hadnt uttered the words. She needed to know how he felt about her now, yet at the same time, she feared the answer. “Nick?

“Hmm?

“We need to talk.

He lifted his head and looked into her eyes. “Give me a minute. He withdrew from her and walked naked from the room to rid himself of the condom he hadnt forgotten since that first frenzied time in the closet at the Lakeshore. Delaney searched for her panties and found them under a rattan cocktail table. She stepped into them, and with each passing moment her unease grew. What if he didnt love her? How could she stand it, and what was she going to do if he didnt? He returned just as shed discovered her bra behind a couch cushion. He took the bra from her hand and tossed it aside. He wrapped her in his embrace and held her against his chest, holding her tighter than ever before. Within his warm arms, with the scent of his skin filling her head, she told herself that he loved her. Even though she wasnt good at being patient, she could wait for him to say the words she needed to hear. Instead she heard the squeak of wood and hinges, like the front door swinging open, and she stilled. “Did you hear something? she whispered.

He put a finger to his lips and listened. The door slammed shut, galvanizing her into action.

“Holy hell! She jumped from Nicks arms and reached for the closest article of clothing, his flannel shirt. Footsteps tapped up the hall as she shoved her arms in the holes. Nicks jeans lay somewhere behind the couch, and he stepped behind Delaney just as Gwen walked into the room. An eerie feeling of d é j à vu climbed up Delaneys spine. Her mother stood within a shaft of light, the sun shinning in her hair like she was a Christmas angel.

Gwen looked from Delaney to Nick then back again, shock rounding her blue eyes. “What is going on here?

Delaney closed the front of the shirt with her hand. “Mom ... I. . . Her fingers worked the buttons as an unreal feeling fogged her head. “What are you doing home?

“I live here!

Nick placed a hand on her abdomen and pulled her back against him, hiding his goods from Delaneys mother. “I know, but youre supposed to be on the love boat.

Gwen pointed a finger at Nick. “What is he doing in my house?

Carefully she finished with the buttons. “Well, he was kind enough to spend Christmas with me.

“Hes naked!

“Well, yes. She spread the hem of his shirt wider in an effort to cover him better. “He... ah ... She closed her mouth and shrugged. There was no help for it, shed been caught. Only this time she wasnt a naive eighteen-year-old girl. She was a few months shy of thirty and she loved Nick Allegrezza. She was a mature independent woman, but she would have preferred that her mother had not found them naked in her sunroom, “Nick and I are dating.

“Id say youre more than dating. How could you do this, Delaney? How could you take up with a man like him? Hes a womanizer and he hates this family. She turned her attention to Nick. “You put your hands on my daughter again, but this time youve fixed yourself good. You violated the terms of Henrys will. Ill see to it you lose everything.

“I never gave a damn about the will. His fingers brushed over the flannel covering Delaneys stomach.

Delaney knew her mother well enough to know shed make good on her threat. She also knew how to stop her. “If you tell anyone about this, then Ill never speak to you again. Once I leave in June, youll never see me. If you thought you never saw me after I left ten years ago, you just wait. When I leave this time, I wont even tell you where I am. When I leave, Ill have three million dollars and Ill never come back to visit you.

Gwens lips pursed and she folded her arms over her breasts. “Well talk about this later.

Nicks hand fell away. “If you dont want to see my bare ass, then you better leave the room while I get dressed.

The tone of his voice was razor-sharp. Shed heard it once before. The last time the three of them had been in Henrys office. The day the will had been read. Delaney couldnt blame him for being edgy. The situation was unbearably awkward, and her mother brought out the worst in some people under the best of circumstances.

As soon as Gwen turned on her heel, Delaney spun around. “Im sorry, Nick. Im sorry she said those thing to you, and I promise I wont let her do anything to jeopardize what Henry left you.

“Forget about it. He found his pants and shoved his legs inside. They dressed in silence, and when she walked him to the front door, he left quickly and neglected to kiss her good-bye. She told herself it didnt matter and went in search of her mother. Gwen wasnt going to like what she had to say, but Delaney had quit living her life for her mother a long time ago. She found her in the kitchen, waiting.

“Why are you home, Mom?

“Ive discovered that Max is not the man for me. Hes too critical, she said through clenched jaws. “Never mind about that now. What was that man doing in my house?

“I told you, he was spending Christmas with me.

“I thought that was his Jeep parked in front of the garage, but I was sure I had to be mistaken. Not in a million years did I expect to find him . .. you ... in my home. Nick Allegrezza of all men. Hes—

“Im in love with him, Delaney interrupted.

Gwen grabbed the back of a kitchen chair. “That is not funny. Youre just saying it get back at me. Youre angry with me because I left you alone for Christmas.

Sometimes her mothers logic boggled the mind, but it was always predictable. “My feelings for Nick have nothing to do with you. I want to be with him, and Im going to be with him.

“I see. Her mothers face hardened. “Are you saying you dont care how I feel about it?

“Of course I care. I dont want you to hate the man I love. I know you cant be really happy for me right now, but maybe you could just accept that I am involved with Nick, and Im happy with him.

“Thats impossible. You cant be happy with a man like Nick. Dont do this to yourself or your family.

Delaney shook her head and her crown slid to one side. She pulled it from her head and brushed her fingers across the cool rhinestones. It was no use. Her mother would never change. “Henrys dead. I am your only family now. She looked up at Gwen. “I want Nick. Dont make me choose.

* * *

Nick stood by the stone fireplace and stared at the blinking lights Sophie had helped him hang on his tree. He raised a bottle of beer to his lips and the lights blurred as he tipped his head back.

Hed known better. For the past few days hed lived his fantasy. Hed held her while shed slept in that tiny pink bed and let himself imagine a house, and a dog, and a couple of kids. Hed let himself imagine her in his life, for the rest of his life, and hed wanted it more than breathing.

Once I leave in June, youll never see me. If you thought you never saw me after I left ten years ago, you just wait. When I leave this time, I wont tell you where I am. When I leave, Ill have three million dollars and Ill never come back to visit you.

He was a fool. Hed known she would leave, but hed let himself start to think that he was enough to make her stay. Shed said she loved him. So had a lot of women at that particular moment, when hed been buried inside giving them both pleasure. It didnt always mean anything, and he wasnt the kind of guy to wait around and watch for signs from the buckbrush to see if it did.

The doorbell rang and he expected to see Delaney. He found Gail instead.

“Merry Christmas, she said and held a brightly colored box toward him. He let her in because he needed a distraction.

“I didnt get you anything. He hung her coat by the door, then led her into the kitchen.

“Thats okay. Its just cookies, nothing big. Josh and I had some extra. Nick set the box on the counter and looked her over. She wore a tight red dress and red stiletto heels. Hed bet she had on her red garter and nothing else. Shed come over to deliver more than gingersnaps, but he wasnt even mildly interested.

“Where is your son?

“His daddy has him tonight. All night. I thought you and I could spend some quality time together in your hot tub.

The doorbell rang for a second time in five minutes, and this time it was Delaney. She stood on his porch, a foil red present in her hands and a smile on her lips. Her smile died when Gail walked up behind him and hung her wrist over his shoulder. He could have removed it. He didnt.

“Come on in, he said. “Gail and I were just about to jump in the hot tub.

“I– Her stunned gaze moved between them. “I didnt bring my swimsuit.

“Neither did Gail. He knew what she thought and he let her think it. “You wont need one, either.

“Whats going on, Nick?

He wrapped an arm around Gails waist and pulled her up against his side. He took a drink from the bottle and looked at the woman he loved so much it was like a writhing ache in his chest. “Youre a big girl. Figure it out.

“Why are you behaving this way? Are you angry about what happened earlier? I told you Ill make sure my mother doesnt say anything.

“I dont give a rats ass about any of that. Even if hed wanted to stop himself from hurting her, he couldnt. He felt like a powerless kid again, watching her and wanting her so much it drove him crazy. “Why dont you join us in the hot tub?

She shook her head. “Threes a crowd, Nick.

“No, threes one hell of a good time. He knew hed never forget the pain in her eyes, and he turned his gaze to Gail. “What do you say? Are you up for a threesome?

“A—

He looked back at Delaney and raised a brow. “Well?

She lifted her free hand and grabbed her wool coat above her heart. She took a step backward and her mouth moved but no words came out. He watched her turn, the shiny red package forgotten in her hand, and run down the sidewalk to her car. Better to let her go before he begged her to stay. Better to end it now. Nick Allegrezza didnt beg anyone to love him. He never had and he never would.

He made himself stand there, and he made himself watch her drive out of his life. He made himself feel his insides rip apart, then he handed Gail her coat. “Im not good company, he said, and for once she had the sense not to try and change his mind.

Alone, he walked into the kitchen and popped the cap off another beer. By midnight hed graduated to Jim Beam. Nick wasnt necessarily a mean drunk, but he was in a mean mood. He drank to forget, but the more he drank the more he remembered. He remembered the scent of her skin, the soft texture of her hair and the taste of her mouth. He fell asleep on the sofa with the sound of her laughter in his ears and his name on her lips. When he woke at eight, his head pounded, and knew he needed a little something for breakfast. He grabbed a bottle of Bufferin and added a little orange juice to his vodka. He was on his third drink and seventh aspirin when his brother walked into his house.

Nick lay sprawled on the leather couch, channel surfing with the remote to the big screen television in one hand. He didnt bother to look up.

“You look like shit.

Nick switched the channel and drained his glass. “Feel like shit, too, so why dont you leave.

Louie crossed to the television and shut it off. “We expected to see you last night for Christmas dinner.

Nick set his empty glass and the remote on an end table. He finally looked at Louie standing there across the room, surrounded by a hazy glow, kind of like the picture of Jesus his mother had hanging on the wall in her dining room. “Didnt make it.

“Obviously. Whats going on?

“None of your business. His head pounded and he wanted to be left alone. Maybe if he stayed drunk for a couple of months, the alcohol would kill that persistent voice in his head that had started nagging him sometime around midnight, calling him an idiot and telling him hed made the biggest mistake of his life.

“Lisa talked to Delaney this morning. I guess shes pretty upset about something. Would you happen to know anything about that?

“Yep.

“Well—what did you do?

Nick stood and the room spun twice before stopping. “Mind your own business. He moved to walk past Louie, but his brother reached out and grabbed a fistful of his shirt. He looked down at Louies fingers tangled in his flannel, and he couldnt believe it. The two of them hadnt physically fought since theyd knocked their mothers back door off the hinges fifteen years ago.

“What in the hell is wrong with you? Louie began. “For most of your life youve wanted one thing. One. Delaney Shaw. As soon as it looks like youre finally going to get what you want, you do something to screw it up. You hurt her on purpose so shell hate you. Just like always. And guess what? She does.

“Why do you care? Nick raised his gaze to his brothers deep brown eyes. “You dont even like her.

“I like her okay, but how I feel doesnt really matter. Youre in love with her.

“Doesnt matter. Shes leaving in June.

“Did she say that?

“Yep.

“Did you ask her to stay? Did you try to work anything out with her?

“It wouldnt have made any difference.

“You dont know that, and instead of finding out, youre going to let the one woman youve loved your whole life walk out. Whats that matter with you? Are you chicken shit?

“Fuck you, Louie. He barely saw Louies fist before he buried it in his face. Light exploded behind Nicks eyes and he went down hard, cracking the back of his head on the wood floor. His vision darkened and he thought he might pass out. Unfortunately the exposed ceiling beams came into focus, and with his cleared vision, his skull felt like it had been split in two. His cheekbone began to throb, and his brain pounded. He groaned and gingerly touched his eye. “Youre a little prick, Louie, and when I get up, Im gonna kick your ass.

His brother moved to stand over him. “You couldnt kick old man Baxters ass, and hes been pushing around one of those oxygen cylinders for ten years.

“You cracked my head open.

“No, your heads too hard. Probably cracked your floor though. Louie pulled a set of keys from his pants pocket. “I dont know why you made Delaney hate you, but youre going to sober up and realize you made a big mistake. I hope its not too late. He frowned and pointed a finger at his brother. “Take a shower, Nick. You stink like a distillery.

After Louie left, Nick picked himself off the floor and stumbled upstairs to bed. He slept until the next morning and woke up feeling like hed been run over by a monster truck. He took a shower, but didnt feel much better. The back of his head hurt and he had a black eye. That wasnt the worst of it. Knowing that Louie was right was worse. Hed pushed Delaney out of his life. Hed thought he could push her out of his head, too. Hed thought hed feel better. Hed never felt so low.

Are you chicken shit ? Instead of fighting for Delaney, hed fallen back on old habits. Instead of taking a chance, hed hurt her before she could hurt him. Instead of taking a risk, hed taken a swing. Instead of grabbing her with both hands, hed pushed her away.

Shed said she loved him, and he wondered if hed ruined everything. He might not deserve her love, but he wanted it. And if she no longer loved him? that nagging little voice asked. Hed made her love him once. He could do it again.

He dressed and headed out the door to take the biggest risk of his life. He drove to Delaneys apartment, but she wasnt home. It was Saturday, and her salon was closed, too. Not a good sign.